Company Policy
by lenfaz
Summary: Everyone thinks they're dating and then they start wondering if they're dating
1. I

Happy Birthday Mona001!

* * *

I

 ** _All those years outside looking in_**  
 ** _All that time never even knowing  
Just how blind I've been_**

He should have seen it coming. Clearly, all the signs were _there_. But he didn't and now they were in this predicament.

It had started a couple of years ago, given his boss' insistence that he'd bring a date to the company's quarterly party. Yes, his company held four parties a year. It was about building team spirit and promoting collaboration and a bunch of corporate wellbeing mumbo-jumbo that Belle kept repeating to him.

Killian didn't care. He just wanted to do his job, have a somewhat friendly time with his coworkers, and then go back home to his solitude, his rum, and his books.

But alas, Wiz Merlin (yes, that really was his name) loved to think everyone in the company was family; and he wanted to meet all the members of his extended family. He _insisted_. _All the time_. He didn't make it company policy because Belle had told him that, _legally_ , he couldn't. (Otherwise he would have done it)

It all had started one evening at David and Mary Margaret's. He'd been complaining about this entire ordeal when it seemed that Emma had finally had enough.

"For crying out loud, I'll go with you. Stop whining." She groaned.

"You'll go with me?" He asked, unsure if he were confused or amused at the prospect.

"Yes… on two conditions: you don't introduce me as your girlfriend, you come with me to my yearly party and help me get rid of that creepy accountant that keeps trying to hit on me each year _and_ you stop whining about this."

"Those are _three_ conditions, love." he teased her cockingly.

" _Do you want a date to get Merlin off your back about this party or not?!_ "

"Very much so, thank you, Swan."

And that was how it began. She ended up going with him to the quarterly company's parties and all the other events Merlin and Belle would come up with. The charity car wash. The softball game. The football game. The _American_ football game. Charade night. Casino night. Movie night.

Killian, on the other hand, made sure that the creepy accountant (who actually looked like a bloody monkey) understood in clear terms that Emma wasn't available and even if she were to become available, she was _not_ interested. He showed up next to her at her company's 10k charity run just to make sure the accountant got the message. And the next year's party. _Just in case._

It was a comfortable agreement for the both of them. It worked.

 _Until now_.

Because now he's standing at the reception of the lovely B&B where they would all stay for the company retreat and he only has one key in his hand. Emma is in the restroom and when she comes back he'll have to tell her they only booked one room for them. One room with a queen size bed.

/-/

Killian stared at the key in his hand again and mentally wanted to kick himself for not double checking with Belle. He turned around and there was the culprit, bouncing back on her high heels and cute little skirt.

"Isn't the place lovely? We have so many activities planned… we'll have a blast!" Belle exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Belle, why do I only have one room for me and Emma?"

"Well, you and Emma are together now, right?" She asked confused.

"Nope, we are still _only_ friends."

Belle tilted her head, her eyes squinting, "But I thought, you took her to the all the parties and she comes to the office regularly to have lunch with you. You guys spent all that time _locked_ in your office, we - we thought you were, you _know_."

Killian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Just because you and Will like to get frisky in the office, _darling_ , it doesn't mean the rest of us do the same."

It was in that exact moment that the man responsible of Belle's sudden blush in her cheeks came along trotting with Robin.

"Will!" Belle said, "Killian and Emma are _not_ dating! You told me they were!"

"Oi! What do you mean you are not dating? I thought you were. You haven't mentioned anyone else in the past year."

"Mate, really? But you do everything together!" Robin added.

"We do everything together because this company is hell-bent on events that take a lot of time and Merlin insists that I bring someone along, so she has graciously accepted. And now she has grown fond of all of you wankers and it makes sense for her to come. But, we are _not_ together and you booked us _only one room_!"

"Hey guys…" They all turned around to find Emma looking at them confused. "Is everything ok?"

/-/

Killian and Emma stood in the middle of the room. It was a cozy and spacious room, with a fireplace, a double bed, wooden floors, and natural light.

Killian scratched behind his ear, "I'm so sorry, Emma, I - I'll take the floor."

"It's ok," she said trying to comfort him, "We could share."

"No, I insist," he said as he placed her bag over the bed and moved to the sofa to place his.

"Why would Belle book us a shared room. I mean- we've never…" she trailed off.

Killian sighed, "They thought we were dating." His eyes meet Emma's across the room. "They - they all seem sure about it."

Emma's scoffed, "David and Mary Margaret think the same."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "They do? But _they saw us_ make this deal."

"Yeah, like two years ago. They are convinced that we are dating in secret and not telling them because we don't want them to overreact." Emma lifted her head to meet Killian's amused face. "You know them as well as I do…."

"Aye, it's befitting of them to think such a far-fetched theory instead of the _logical_ explanation." He stood silent for a while, pondering. "Emma?" He finally asked, his eyes meeting hers. "If they are all so convinced… do you - do you think we should, perhaps,.. you know?" He stumbled on his last words.

She sighed, reaching to grab her bag of toiletries. "I don't know. I think that if it was supposed to happen, it would have happened by now, right?" She finished in a low voice as she headed to the bathroom.

"Aye, you are right," he said, running a hand through his hair, watching her close the door and not being able to shake off the strange feeling that came to him the moment he heard her words.


	2. II

A/N: There will be one more part after this one

II

 ** _Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight  
_** ** _Now I'm here, suddenly I see  
_** ** _Standing here, it's all so clear  
_** ** _I'm where I'm meant to be_**

Sleeping on a rug by the fire wasn't the best for his back, but it had not been a terrible ordeal either. And Killian was pretty sure that it was not the hard wood surface that kept him awake for half of the night. It wasn't the soft even breathing coming from the bed either. It was his own mind, playing little scenarios in front of him, making him want things he didn't know he wanted just a few hours ago.

 _Like crawling under the covers of that bed and spooning around Emma's body._

He tossed on the floor again, readjusting his position. Where had those thoughts come from? He'd never wanted to cuddle with Emma before. He'd never had to share a room with her before either, but there had been plenty of times where they've stayed up late talking with David and Mary Margaret and she had leaned into his space in the couch, propping her feet up and resting against the arm he had stretched on the furniture frame. But he'd never felt like this. It had been nice to feel her close by, yes, but not like this.

 _Not like feeling he'd go mad if he couldn't feel her near._

Morning finally came and he rose up from the rug, running his hand through his face in order to shake the bad night off of him.

"That bad?" Emma's sleepy voice came to him like a melody and he lifted his head to see her half-lying on the bed, propped over one elbow. Her hair was tousled and her eyes were still half closed. He never knew she looked so beautiful early in the morning.

"I've had worse," he said as he averted his gaze, scratching behind his ear.

"You can take the bed tonight, I'll sleep on the rug." She offered as she got off the bed.

"Swan, you are doing me a favor by coming with me to these wretched company activities; you are _not_ sleeping in the floor on top of everything." He said vehemently, reaching to grab a change of clothes from his suitcase.

"I don't mind," she said.

"But I do."

"I _meant_ \- I don't mind coming to these things with you," she said, a shy smile in her face. "I actually enjoy them."

He swallowed as her words sank in and he held her gaze for a moment, trying to read what laid underneath her words. She broke the eye contact and quickly reached for her toiletry bag, "Is it ok if I use the bathroom first?"

"Aye, go ahead, Swan."

/-/

The rest of his colleagues were already in the breakfast room, eating and enjoying the conversation. Will and Belle were enraptured in each other and Robin was busy cutting the pancakes for his four year old, while his girlfriend Regina poured orange juice in his cup. Everyone looked comfortable and at ease and _happy_ ; and it made Killian crave for that. It made him question if perhaps it shouldn't _be_ like that.

But all thoughts vanished the moment he spotted Merlin walking towards them, arms outstretched and a huge grin on his face.

 _Uh-oh._

Merlin reached Emma and enveloped her in a hug, before pulling away and grabbing her hand, "Emma! My dear, it's so great to have you here."

Emma smiled sweetly, "Thank you for inviting me."

Merlin waved one of his hands as if it were nothing before he tilted his head, "Have you thought about what we've discussed last time?"

Emma shook her head in amused disbelief, "You mean your offer to come work for you? The one I refuse each time and yet you still offer again?"

Merlin nodded with his head as Belle came to stand next to them, "Yes, that one, I am sure we can match whatever your current company is paying you. And we do have much better benefits. We are, as you know, very family oriented so whenever you and Killian decide to have kids, we can definitely think of several arrangements to help you both. It won't be long now before you two start a family right?"

Emma stiffened next to Killian and he felt his face blush. It was one thing for Emma to endure Merlin's constant attempts to steal her from her current company, but to actually suggest _this_?

" _Belle_." Killian said with barely contained rage in his voice.

"Merlin, you _can't_ ask people when they are planning to have children!" Belle said horrified, pulling Merlin a little away from Emma.

"But they are my employees! Well Killian is, and I hope Emma becomes one. I want to know, I care about my employees." Merlin protested.

" _Especially_ when they are your employees! Just- go with Will and see if they are ready to go hiking." Belle said frustrated.

Once Merlin was out of earshot, Belle turned around to Emma apologetically, "I am so sorry, please don't sue us."

" _I_ am tempted to sue us, Belle." Killian scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "This has gotten out of hand."

"When he saw the booking and we told them you were together… he went crazy. With happiness. You know how fond he is of Emma."

" _Belle_."

"I'll talk to him, I promise." Belle said before she turned to go find Merlin and Will.

Killian turned around to face Emma, "Are they hiring in your company by any chance? I am tempted to switch jobs."

She gave him a reassuring smile, "It's not a big deal, Killian. Stop worrying."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise. Whatever you want, you just ask."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "I might take you up on it."

/-/

The hike wasn't that bad. Robin and Regina walked with Roland in between, while Will and Belle tried to coax a smile out of Merlin. He kept stealing glances at Killian and Emma with a sad face, his lips forming a pout from time to time.

"I almost feel bad for the guy," Emma said.

"Nonsense, Swan. They need to learn to mind their own business… which is _not_ who I date or don't date." He almost growled the last words.

"They care for you." Emma offered as she leaned in to bump her shoulder to his.

"Aye, I know," He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know they do, but it can be overwhelming sometimes. I just want to do my job, get home, get a tumbler of rum, grab a book, and spend a quiet night." He stopped in his tracks and Emma stopped walking as well. His eyes bore into hers, "Is that too much to ask for? Am I too weird?"

"No." She pressed her hand on his forearm, her eyes warm and her smile reassuring, "There is nothing wrong with that, Killian. It's who you are… it's who you want to be."

His hand covered hers and he noticed how cold it was. "Your hands are cold," He said as he grabbed them in his.

"I forgot my gloves in the room."

"Let me." He said as he wrapped her hand within his and lifted it to his mouth. He softly exhaled, blowing warm breath towards her hand. He did it again and he lifted his eyes to find Emma looking mesmerized at him. A warm rush invade him, the touch becoming much more intimate as he exhaled the warm air into her hand one more time, his eyes never leaving hers.

"There." He said, clearing his throat, his mouth suddenly dry, as he lowered down her hand. "Better?"

Emma looked at him dazzled for a second, before she seemed to snap out of it and nodded. "Yeah, thank you."

"Anytime, Swan."

After the hike came the picnic lunch in the gardens. Then charades, then some team bonding nonsense where he had to list what he liked of the person sitting to his right - Will was a bloody wanker but he had a heart of gold and treated Belle like she deserved, Killian had to give him that. Then it was an early dinner served in the main room and then they were finally free to do whatever they wanted.

And he knew exactly what to do. Emma excused herself to go check her messages in the lobby and he used that time to get a hot shower and change into his flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt. When Emma walked into the room, he was already sitting on the rug by the fire, his back resting on the edge of the armchair, a book in his hands and a beer next to him.

"They didn't have any rum?" She asked teasingly.

"Alas, not anything that could be considered drinkable, Swan."

Emma headed for the bathroom and came back in sweats and a loose shirt, her hair tied in a ponytail. She plopped on the rug next to him and took a sip of his beer. He smiled as he leaned in to reach another one from the minibar and handed it to her.

"Thank you," She beamed at him, "Do you have another one of those to lend me as well?" She pointed to his book.

"I never leave the house without at least two," Killian said as he got up and retrieved another book from his suitcase. "Enjoy your reading, Emma." He smiled at her.

They were both engrossed in their own books, occasionally pointing out a line or a paragraph to one another when there was a knock on the door. Killian didn't even stand up as he called from his comfortable spot, "Come in!"

The door opened and Belle peeked in, "Emma, we are going down to get a few drinks and perhaps convince the owners to put on some music. Want to join us? I won't even bother asking Killian cause I know he's a bloody hermit that will never trade a fireplace, a book, and a beer for a makeshift bar, but you are not his girlfriend so you don't have to stay here… you can come with us if you want."

Emma turned around to look at Killian and he smiled at her, trying to hide the sadness that was overcoming him, "She's right. You should go."

She tilted her head before she turned around and gave Belle a warm smile, "I think I'll stay here, but thank you for the offer."

Belle smiled as she closed the door and Emma turned around to find Killian giving her a quizzical look. "Shut up!" she playfully hit him on the shoulder before she scooped closer to him, "It's a good book, I want to keep reading."

He chuckled as he lifted his arm to wrap it behind her and she snuggled closer. "Whatever you say, Swan."

/-/

He woke up disoriented for a second, and then he realized that they had fallen asleep by the fireplace. Emma was snuggled into him, her head resting on his shoulder. He slowly maneuvered them so he could lift her and take her to the bed. She stirred a little as he laid her there and he pressed his chest to her shoulder for a second before pulling away.

"Don't." she mumbled in her sleep, her hand reaching to grab his arm and stop him, "Stay." She said as she moved her head to place it more comfortably in the pillow.

Killian was too tired and too confused to even try to make sense of what it all meant, so he just laid on the bed next to her. It wasn't long before his body found hers, pressing his chest to her back and pulling her to him as she snuggled closer, their legs tangling.

When he woke up with the first sunrays coming out of the window, he knew this was not something he was ready to face. She'd been asleep when she asked him to stay in bed with her, her mishap easily blamed to sleep and tiredness.

 _But he hadn't been._ He'd willingly pulled her closer to him and buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in. He was now willingly moving his hand up and down between her hip and her waist, his fingers itching to pull her shirt just a little and feel her skin against his.

He had to get out of that bed. _Now_.

He disentangled himself careful not to wake her and resumed his place on the rug, waiting for the sleep that never came.


	3. III

AN: Thank you very much for reading this story! This is the last chapter

III

 ** _And at last I see the light  
_** ** _And it's like the fog has lifted  
_** ** _And at last I see the light  
_** ** _And it's like the sky is new  
_** ** _And it's warm and real and bright  
_** ** _And the world has somehow shifted_**

Emma woke up disoriented, her sleepy mind trying to get its bearings. She hadn't recalled making it to bed the night before, her last clear memory of her and Killian reading by the fire, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier as the seconds passed and she felt the warmth of his body enveloping her in a safe cocoon.

A different, fogged memory came to her mind. Strong arms carrying her to the bed, and her own body protesting as the warmth left her, her hand reaching to pull that body next hers and her voice softly pleading.

 _Had she asked him to stay? Had he actually stayed in bed with her?_

She seemed to recall strong arms pulling her to him, a nose buried in her hair, but she couldn't discern whether it was a dream or a memory. She slowly rose up and her eyes scanned the room. Killian wasn't there and the rug by the fire showed no clear signs of being used, the blanket was carefully folded and placed on the armchair, the pillow laying on top of it.

She sighed, running a hand through her messy ponytail. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her this weekend, but clearly the fresh air had been messing with her head. Emma had never before felt the need to have Killian's arms closing softly around her waist, his body spooning around her. Not until she tossed and turned in the bed for half of the first night, imagining how him laying next to her would feel.

It was ridiculous. It truly was. This was not who she was. This was not what Killian and her were, they'd never been anything remotely close to the type of friends that shared a bed. Much less the type of friends that felt the need to do _more_ than just sharing a bed.

She'd known the moment they met that he wasn't her type. True, he was unfairly attractive, all dark hair, blue eyes and lilting accent. But she was a 'hit the bar and enjoy a wild night out' type of girl and he was all books and silent nights by the couch. She knew by now that the flirting he'd usually resorted to from time to time was just a facade to cover someone whose heart had been broken in the worst possible way and he just didn't feel like putting himself out there again.

And she knew what that meant, because while he'd resorted to crazy innuendos and closing off into his books and lonely nights; she had chosen one night stands and never getting close to someone again. She'd been heartbroken too, and she didn't need that again in her life.

Which is why, when she saw how much the whole 'bring a date' ordeal with his company was affecting him, she'd jumped in and offered to help. It was really just a few nights here and there, and he wasn't bad company after all.

It turned out to be the opposite. She felt more at ease at his company events than at hers and slowly, she'd come to appreciate the silent and calm lifestyle he led. This weekend had been anything but a revelation to her. Instead of going down and doing shots and dancing the night away, she'd chosen to sit by the fire and read next to him, warm and comfortably nested in their room.

 _And she'd liked it._

The sound of the door startled her and she lifted her head as Killian came in. He was dressed in jeans and a blue sweater, his black hair slightly disheveled. He looked at her shyly, "Good morning, Emma."

"Good morning. You were up early."

"Aye. I needed to sort a few things early this morning." He reached to scratch behind his ear nervously, his eyes avoiding hers.

"Oh. I'll get ready quickly and we can have breakfast," Emma offered,

Killian sighed, "I actually had breakfast already, lass. I'm just going to load the car with my stuff while you finish here. I'll come back and pick your bag while you have breakfast and we can be on our way after you're done."

Emma's heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread at the pit of her stomach at his distant attitude, but she quickly hid her feelings, masking her features. "That sounds great, I can't wait to be back home," she lied.

She quickly showered, changed and put everything back on her travel bag. She ran into Killian when she was leaving the room to get breakfast but he'd avoided her with the pretext of getting her bag.

Emma grabbed a cup of coffee and a bear claw to go, deciding it was better to head home as soon as possible and go back to normal, to a place where all these strange feelings would go away. She said her goodbyes to Will and Belle, and once again refused Merlin's attempts to offer her a position in the company.

Killian was standing by the car, silently fidgeting with the hem of his sweater.

"Ready to go home?" he asked.

"I've never been more ready to go back to normal," she said as she got into the passenger side.

/-/

The ride had been silent, both of them lost in their own thoughts. From the corner of her eye, Emma watched Killian fidget a few times, as if he were about to say something. But he'd stop himself, his jaw clenching and his attention focusing back on the road.

When they finally reached her house, he got off the car and insisted to carry her bag to the door.

"Thank you, Killian," she said as she leaned on her doorframe, "I guess I'll see you at movie night."

"Actually," he whispered nervously, reaching to scratch behind his ear, "I have to leave town for a while." He looked at her, his blue eyes almost indecipherable, "that is why I was earlier at breakfast. I needed to talk to Merlin. I have to go tend some business for an important client and we feel it's better for our image if I stay there for a while, to work with them on certain things."

"Oh," Emma said sadly.

"But you can certainly go, Swan," he offered, shuffling with his feet on her porch.

"I am not going to go to your company's movie night without you, Killian," she protested.

"You seem to enjoy those things more than I do anyway, lass. And they seem to like your company more than mine," he finished in a whisper.

"That's not true… and you know it."

"Aye." He ran his hand through his hair as he stood awkwardly at her door.

"So.. I'll see you when you get back?" The question left her lips on its own accord and she hoped he didn't notice the desperate tone in it.

"Probably at the next rendez-vous at David and Mary Margaret."

He must have noticed her smile faltering, because he took a step closer, as if to touch her. But he quickly changed his mind and pulled back, "I - I have to go. Goodbye, Swan."

She watched him turned around and leave, fighting the tears as she tried to understand why they were coming to her face.

/-/

She noticed his absence on the second day, when she walked through the deli she's always picked up food from on her way to his office.

Belle texted her about movie night, telling Emma that she was welcomed, regardless the fact that Killian had gone to such length to avoid the activity that he'd requested Merlin to stay out of town for longer than planned. Emma tried to ignore the pain in the pit of her stomach at those news and she'd told Belle she couldn't make it this time.

She spent that Friday night with David and Mary Margaret, but she was silent most of the time.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret asked, "is everything alright? Did something happen with Killian on the company retreat?"

Emma averted her eyes, "Nothing happened. Everyone just assumed we were dating and it was a little awkward, that is all."

"Emma…" David pressed.

"We are not dating, David." Emma defended herself, "We are _too_ different. We would never get along…. it would never last," she finished in a whisper.

"It's lasted for two years, Emma." Mary Margaret put her hand reassuringly on Emma's arm, "You shouldn't be afraid anymore that it wouldn't work, because you two have made it work already." Mary Margaret sighed, "I just wished you could see yourselves in the way we see you…"

Late that night, she tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts playing tricks on her, making her wish things she'd never wished before. She closed her eyes, conjuring in her mind the feeling of being curled up against Killian in front of the fireplace, letting that warmth envelope her. It was only when she evoked how his arms would feel around her, holding her tight against him in the bed, that she was able to finally drift to sleep.

She spent her Saturday holed up in her house, reading a new book by the fire, a cup of tea by her side. From time to time, she'd stopped her reading, wishing Killian would be next to her so she could point out a paragraph of the book she was reading.

 _God, she missed him._

The doorbell brought her out of her thoughts and she lazily walked towards the front door. She opened it and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Killian standing on her porch.

"Killian!" she smiled surprised.

"Is it a bad time, Swan?" he asked nervously.

"No, come in," she moved to the side to let him in.

He walked a few steps until he was standing on her living room and she followed him. She could tell he was nervous by the way his hand fidgeted and he averted his eyes.

"Killian, is everything alright?"

He lifted his head and his blue eyes met hers, "I've spent all this week out of town not just because of work.. I - I was trying to figure something out."

"Figure what out?" she asked nervously, her hands rubbing on her thighs.

"Something happened on that trip, Swan," he said in a strained voice, "When I carried you to bed that last night, you - you asked me to stay."

She could feel her cheeks blushing and she averted her gaze, "I'm sorry, I was asleep, I didn't…" She tried to turn around but he was quickly by her side, his hand softly grabbing her arm and making her face him.

"No, Swan, it's ok. I just," he sighed, running his hand through his hair before his eyes bored into hers, "I didn't see it before… you were so close, _we_ were so close that I couldn't see it. But when they told me, when I started to see it - _us_ \- through their eyes. It was so clear, it made so much sense."

She could feel the surprise coming to her face and he seemed to read it, because he quickly added, "I know that we're different and I know you think that if it didn't happen, we can't force it. That we'll regret if we do…" His hand moved to caress her cheek.

"Killian…" she whispered, her own hand moving to cover his as she leaned softly into his touch.

"Swan…" he leaned closer to her, his nose nuzzling hers, "All I know is that if I don't kiss you right now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

His lips brushed her lightly, hesitantly. She leaned in, capturing his lips with hers and it seemed to be what he needed because in that moment he was pulling her closer to him, his arm around her waist as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Her hands found a home in his hair, as her mouth moved rhythmically with his, drowning into him in the best way.

He smiled softly as he pulled away, biting his lower lip, "I don't think we'll ever regret doing this, Emma." He kissed her softly one more time and she pulled him closer to her, smiling into his kiss.

He cleared his throat, "Do you - do you want to go out, have a bite to eat? Hit a pub or something?"

She smirked at him, her hand intertwining with his and she pulled him towards the interior of the living room. "I have a better idea. I might not have rum, but I have tea, a fireplace and the couch is quite comfortable. And I just bought a series that I think you'll enjoy."

The next morning, when she drifted awake in her bed, strong arms were pulling her tight against his chest, his hand softly caressing the skin on her hipbone, as he nuzzled his nose in her hair before turning her around and kissing her.

 ** _All at once everything looks different,  
_** ** _Now that I see you_**


End file.
